Foldable bench
A foldable bench having at least a pair of seat sections pivotally connected together. Pivotally mounted to the other side of each seat section is a leg assembly that is movable from a folded position to an extended position. When the bench assumes an unfolded position a strut extends from a point to a respective leg assembly and when the bench carries a load each strut is held in compression. An interconnecting member connects the two leg assemblies and is generally held in tension when the bench assumes an unfolded position and carries a load.
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) from the following U.S. provisional application: Application Ser. No. 60/409,538 filed on Sep. 9, 2002. That application is incorporated in its entirety by reference herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONAthletic benches are widely used in a variety of sports ranging from football to soccer. Usually, athletic benches, or benches occupied by players during the course of an athletic contest, come in different sizes and designs. Many such benches are made of wood or metal. However, most athletic or player benches share one common characteristic. They are usually large and far from portable. Such conventional player benches are generally functional. But their size and weight restrict their use to essentially one location.
Certain athletic fields such as soccer fields or baseball fields typically used by children or young adults are not provided with player benches. Thus, those players not actually participating usually stand or kneel on the sidelines. This is not an ideal situation, especially for players taking a break from the athletic action.
Therefore, there has been and continues to be a need for a foldable bench that can be folded and carried from on location to another.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention entails a foldable bench having at least two seat sections and an underlying support structure. The underlying support structure includes at least two leg assemblies that are foldable from a folded or retracted position to an extended position. In the extended position the leg assemblies are interconnected by a pair of connectors. Further, the leg assemblies are interconnected by a cable or other interconnecting member.
In one preferred embodiment, when the foldable bench assumes an erect and unfolded position, the connectors extending between the bench and the leg assemblies are maintained in compression while the cable or interconnecting member extended between the leg assemblies is maintained in tension.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of such invention.
With further reference to the drawings, the foldable bench of the present invention is shown therein and indicated generally by the numeral 10. As will be appreciated from subsequent portions of this disclosure, the foldable bench 10 is adapted to assume a folded position, as shown in
Viewing the foldable bench 10 in more detail, the same includes a pair of seat sections, each seat section being indicated generally by the numeral 12. It should be appreciated that the foldable bench 10 could include any number of seat sections 12 but in the case of the embodiment illustrated herein, the foldable bench includes two seat sections. Each seat section includes a top 12A and a bottom 12B. Seat sections 12, and other portions of the foldable bench 10, can be constructed of various materials such as plastic, wood, metal, fiberglass, etc.
To support the foldable bench 10 when the same assumes the unfolded or erect position shown in
With reference to
As seen in
With specific reference to
Therefore, it is seen that the seat sections 12 can be pivoted about the axis of the two pivot pins 60. In one configuration, the foldable bench assumes a folded position (FIG. 1), and in another configuration the bench sections 12 assume an extended position and wherein, as viewed in
Finally, each of the brackets 50 and 52 of the hinge assembly include a pair of connector gussets 62. As seen in
Pivotally connected to the connector gussets 66 is the connector 24. A pivot pin 70 in the form of a bolt and nut assembly is extended through the openings within the terminal ends of the gussets 62 and through an opening in one end portion of the connector 24. The other end of the connector 24 is adapted to be inserted into the stub sleeve 40 of one of the leg assemblies 20. This is particularly illustrated in FIG. 4A. When the foldable bench 10 assumes the unfolded or erect position, it is desirable to lock or secure each connector 24 to a respective leg assembly 20. Therefore, there is provided a locking pin or screw 72 that is adapted to be secured to both the outer end of each connector 24 and a respective stub sleeve 40. The locking pins or screws 72 can be easily and quickly attached and detached to facilitate the folding of the bench 10.
Further, the leg assemblies 20, in an erect position, are interconnected by a cable 26. It is noted that the cable 26 is secured to the leg 20 by connecting to the tabs 42 extending from the cross member 38. Cable 26 can be connected to the tabs in various ways. For example, the opposed terminals ends of the cable 26 can be secured to a bolt assembly which is in turn connected to an opening formed in the tab 42.
In the folded position, as seen in
When the bench 10 is extended to its erect position shown in
Further, when the foldable bench 10 is disposed in the erect position shown in
Finally, the folded bench 10 may assume various configurations and designs. In one particular embodiment, the interconnecting member 26, as discussed above, could be in the form of a cable and the cable could be utilized as a carrying strap for the entire bench 10 when the same assumes the folded configuration. Additionally, in the embodiments illustrated herein, the bench is shown as including two seat sections 12. However, it will be appreciated that the foldable bench 10 could include more than two foldable sections.
The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the scope and the essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are therefore to be construed in all aspects as illustrative and not restrictive and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.
Claims
1. A foldable bench comprising:
- a. at least two seat sections wherein the seat sections are movable between an extended position and a folded position;
- b. at least two legs that are mounted to each respective seat section and movable between a foldable position and an extended position;
- c. a pair of first connectors connecting the respective seat sections to the respective legs when the seat sections assume an extended position;
- d. wherein when the bench supports a load when in the extended position, the first connectors are in compression,
- e. a second connector for connecting the two legs when the two legs assume an extended position; and
- f. wherein when the bench supports a load when in the extended position and the second connector is connected between the two legs, the second connector is in tension.
2. The foldable bench of claim 1 wherein the second connector is a cable.
3. The foldable bench of claim 2 wherein the first connectors extend generally diagonally with respect to the seat sections when the seat sections assume the extended position.
4. The foldable bench of claim 1 wherein when the seat sections assume the extended position and the foldable bench assumes an unfolded position, each first connector extends from a position underneath an intermediate area of the bench outwardly and downwardly to where an end portion of the connector connects to a respective leg.
5. The foldable bench of claim 4 wherein the second connector comprises a cable that when the legs are extended and the bench assumes an unfolded position, the cable extends between the legs.
6. The foldable bench of claim 1 wherein each leg forms a part of a leg assembly and wherein each leg assembly is foldably mounted to an underside of each seat section about an outer end portion of the seat section.
7. The foldable bench of claim 6 wherein each leg assembly is pivotally mounted to a respective seat section and wherein when the bench assumes a folded position, the leg assemblies assume a folded position adjacent a respective seat section and wherein the two leg assemblies are disposed in back-to-back relationship to each other.
8. The foldable bench of claim 1 wherein there is provided a hinge for pivotally connecting the two seat sections together.
9. The foldable bench of claim 8 wherein each of the first connectors extends from the hinge.
10. The foldable bench of claim 8 wherein each first connector includes an end portion that is connected to the hinge and wherein each connector, when the bench assumes the unfolded or erect position, extends generally outwardly and downwardly from the hinge to where an outer end portion of the connector connects to a respective leg.
11. A foldable bench movable between a folded position and an erect position, comprising: a pair of seat sections wherein the seat sections are movable between a folded position and an extended position, a pair of foldable legs, each leg adapted to extend from one seat section and movable from a folded position to an erect position; wherein when the bench assumes the erect position, the legs assume the extended position but are inclined at least slightly inwardly such that each leg extends downwardly and inwardly from a respective seat section; a strut connected between each leg and a respective seat section when the bench is in the erect position, each strut is held in compression when the bench supports a load when in the erect position; and an interconnecting member interconnected between the two legs such that when the bench is in the erect position and supporting a load, the interconnecting member is held in tension.
12. The foldable bench of claim 11 wherein there is provided a hinge for connecting the two sections together and wherein each strut is connected to the hinge and when the foldable bench assumes the erect position, each strut projects from the hinge towards one leg.
13. The foldable bench of claim 11 wherein when the foldable bench assumes the folded position the two seat section extends generally parallel and the two legs assume the folded position and lie back to back such that the two legs are generally sandwiched between the two seat sections.
14. The foldable bench of claim 11 wherein the interconnecting member held in tension is a cable.
15. The foldable bench of claim 11 wherein each leg forms a part of a leg assembly wherein each leg assembly includes a pair of legs and a transverse member interconnected between the legs.
16. A method of unfolding and erecting a foldable bench having at least two seat sections, comprising:
- a. moving the seat sections from a folded position to an unfolded position
- b. moving a pair of legs from a folded position to an unfolded position;
- c. stationing the legs in an unfolded position by connecting a strut to each leg and extending the strut towards a respective seat section;
- d. in response to a load being placed on the bench when the bench is in the unfolded position, the struts are in compression; and
- e. interconnecting the legs with an interconnecting member and maintaining the interconnecting member in tension when the bench carries a load when in the unfolded position.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein the legs are maintained in a position where they extend at least slightly inwardly when the bench assumes the unfolded position.
18. The method of claim 16 including pivotally connecting the two seat sections together with a hinge and connecting at least one end of each strut with the hinge when the bench assumes the unfolded position.
19. The method of claim 16 including returning the bench to a folded position by folding the legs to a position adjacent the seat sections and folding the seat sections together such that the legs are sandwiched between the seat sections.
191015 | May 1877 | Webb |
245903 | August 1881 | White |
346454 | August 1886 | Baldwin |
383255 | May 1888 | Spaet et al. |
1531837 | March 1925 | Boldin |
1952610 | March 1934 | Gladstone |
2067101 | January 1937 | Shaw |
2073155 | March 1937 | Gladstone |
2417439 | March 1947 | Overdick |
2483309 | September 1949 | Amaducci |
2566818 | September 1951 | Babit |
2887149 | May 1959 | Cassin |
3822913 | July 1974 | Raver |
4034684 | July 12, 1977 | Carson et al. |
4061305 | December 6, 1977 | Beckenkamp |
4245849 | January 20, 1981 | Thiboutot |
4278243 | July 14, 1981 | Alessio |
4406495 | September 27, 1983 | Turner |
4617869 | October 21, 1986 | Denomey |
4699422 | October 13, 1987 | Yamasaki |
4960277 | October 2, 1990 | LaRossa et al. |
5058948 | October 22, 1991 | Singer |
5058950 | October 22, 1991 | Mann |
5080024 | January 14, 1992 | Yamamoto |
5394810 | March 7, 1995 | Howard et al. |
5882283 | March 16, 1999 | Stevens |
5908182 | June 1, 1999 | Stang et al. |
5993360 | November 30, 1999 | Stevens |
6161486 | December 19, 2000 | Boots |
6182724 | February 6, 2001 | Chou et al. |
6254177 | July 3, 2001 | Tseng |
6264586 | July 24, 2001 | Webber |
6299251 | October 9, 2001 | Harper |
6340205 | January 22, 2002 | Battiston |
6550855 | April 22, 2003 | Liu |
20030020305 | January 30, 2003 | Liu |
683311 | February 1994 | CH |
52031 | May 1982 | EP |
2074853 | November 1981 | GB |
2192534 | January 1988 | GB |
Type: Grant
Filed: Sep 9, 2003
Date of Patent: Feb 15, 2005
Inventor: John S. Thomas (Raleigh, NC)
Primary Examiner: Rodney B. White
Attorney: Coats & Bennett, P.L.L.C.
Application Number: 10/659,236